THE traffic trial at Walmgate Bar is set to continue for another three months, if council chiefs give a revised plan the green light.

A City of York Council report into the scheme to stop traffic travelling through the 12th Century monument reveals that delays to traffic were greater than expected.

Cyclists also felt unsafe when crossing the junction and that there are concerns from pedestrians because of the speed of vehicles entering Walmgate.

Despite these issues, officers have recommended to members at next week's planning and transport meeting that the scheme ought to be extended.

They have put forward a raft of proposals which, they hope, will address the concerns of pedestrians, cyclists and bus company First.

Last week, the Evening Press reported how council officers had announced that an option to abandon the scheme could be put before councillors.

That has been done, but officers have looked at new ways of countering worries about the trial, which has been under way since the start of November.

Peter Evely, the council's head of network management, writes in the report that the delays have been down to the "clearance" time needed by cyclists to get through the junction. This was double what had been estimated.

"This...represents something like 120 vehicles of additional queue that can build up during a peak hour," he wrote. Mr Evely states that a detection system could reduce the clearance time when keeping the junction safe.

"Special detection systems could also be installed that would recognise buses and allow additional green time on the signals on Lawrence Street, further reducing delays."

Other schemes advocated to improve the trial included a guardrail on both sides of the road to ensure pedestrians could not cross in front of the current stop line position.

It will cost £4,000 to abandon the scheme and return the junction to its previous state, or £5,000 to install the cabling, and re-specify the detection units. A further £6,000 would be needed to build the guard rails.

Coun Ann Reid, pictured, the council's executive member for transport, said: "Officers have done the right thing in bringing to members' attention the problems that have been encountered."

Peter Edwards, commercial director at the bus company, said: "We understand the requirement to protect the bar and, if approved, we will be conducting detailed time-keeping observations for our buses over the next three months."

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Labour's transport spokeswoman, said: "We need to protect the bar, but we also need to get this right."

Updated: 10:30 Wednesday, January 26, 2005